Abstract

This replication study examined differences in RN perception of the professional practice environment (PPE) between salary- and hourly-wage compensation models over time.

BACKGROUND

A previous study demonstrated that nurses in a salary-wage model had a significantly higher perception of the PPE compared with their peers receiving hourly wages.

METHODS

A descriptive, comparative design was used to examine the Revised Professional Practice Environment (RPPE) scale of nurses in the same units surveyed in the previous study 2 years later.

RESULTS

Mean scores on the RPPE continued to be significantly lower for hourly-wage RNs compared with the RNs in the salary-wage model.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses in an hourly-wage unit have significantly lower perceptions of the clinical practice environment than their peers in a salary-wage unit, indicating that professional practice perceptions in a salary-wage unit were sustained for a 2-year period and may provide a more effective PPE.